The next meeting of the Bicentennial Committee will be tomorrow, Aug. 13th at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall. There is still time for you to get involved in this year’s celebration.

The “All About Caramel Culinary” contest will be on Saturday, Aug. 29. The contest entry deadline is 11 a.m. and items need to be brought to the Township Building. There are five categories: Cakes, Candy, Pies, Cookies and Bars, and Miscellaneous. Each entry will be judged and first, second and third place winners will be announced shortly after the judging. All entries will be sold at the auction on Saturday evening at 6 pm. The first, second and third place winners will receive a percentage of the sale of their item. All other entries will be sold and the entire amount of the sale will be donated to the Caramel Festival Committee.

The Queen Contest will be Friday, Aug. 28 at 6:45 p.m. For more information call Lisa Davis at 937-205-1507. The Little Miss and Mr. Winchester contest will be on Saturday, Aug. 29, with registration at 9:30 a.m. For more information call Lisa Tumbleson at 937-695-8036. The Baby Show will also be on Aug. 29 at 11 a.m. For more information call Rebecca Chandler at 937-779-9005.

A Car and Motorcycle Cruise-In will be held on Aug. 29 at 11 a.m. at the W3CU Parking Lot (site of the old school). For more information call Rodney Tumbleson at 937-695-8036 or Mike Hughes at 937-217-0755.

Winchester will be hosting a community-wide yard sale on Friday and Saturday the weekend of the festival. We are hoping to have lots of participants.

The Winchester United Methodist Church will be having a Homecoming service at morning worship, Aug. 30 at 10:30 a.m. An invitation is extended to everyone, but especially to those who may have attended the church at any time. If you are unable to attend, please send a note with anything you remember about the church, ministers, MYF, special services, etc. Notes can be sent to 60 N. Hartford Ave., Winchester, Ohio 45697.

We have more Bicentennial tee shirts and if you would like to purchase one let us know. They are $15 each.

Winchester’s Past (Florence Bryson): The coming of the Railroad in 1871 and the opening of the bank in 1884 brought change to Winchester. H.H. Mechlin brought his lumber and sawmill business from Pike County to Winchester in 1894. He employed about 50 men and 25 teams. A Business Men’s Association was formed in 1899. Honorable L. J. Fenton was the President. The beneficial effect of the organization was three factories. Mr. Mechlin built the Winchester Bent Wood Works in 1900 which employed 25 men. Jacob Eckman moved his Favorite Shoe Company from Cincinnati to the building that was formerly Thomson’s Store. The Winchester Canning Company was organized by selling stock and Mr. A. S. Doak was President. Another business formed in 1898 is still in business today, 117 years later.

Don’t forget The Winchester Hydromobile Factory owned by J.H. Smith. He built and designed cars that resembled a carriage. The first one didn’t run but he sold the next one for $600 to a man who delivered the mail from Ripley to West Union. The first telephone came in 1901 and electric street lights in 1910.

Remember that I depend on information from others which is due by Sunday evening and can be sent by calling 937-695-9977 (leave a message) or by email @ japorter45697@sbcglobal.net.

https://www.peoplesdefender.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_Winchester_Ohio_1815.jpg
Many Bicentennial events are being planned

By Joyce Porter and Florence Bryson